Groot Is Actually Dead—and Baby Groot Is His Son?!

Sorry, Guardians of the Galaxy fans, but James Gunn has confirmed that Groot really did die at the end of the first film.

And despite all those theories about Baby Groot being the reincarnation of the original character, the answer is a lot simpler than that. Baby Groot is simply the son of Groot.

The heated discussion about the origins of the character began when BuzzFeed writer Arielle Calderon began tweeting about who is more worthy of saving: a porg or Baby Groot? That's when the director of the film dropped the bomb on the internet, "First Groot is dead. Baby Groot is his son."

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Understandably, the fans of the comic and the movie franchise are processing their loss, with some in flat out denial about the death of the lovable character.

Those shocked tweets had no impact on Gunn, however, who continued to hammer home the idea that Baby Groot is his own person.

The internet is like Groundhog Day every time I point out first Groot died. Baby Groot has a different personality, a different body, no memories of adult Groot & adult Groot’s sacrifice actually meant something. New round of news stories & collective gasping again & again. https://t.co/gvx7c0g2fF